


Always

by suprrrrcorp



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Lesbian Kara Danvers, Lesbian Lena Luthor, Minor James "Jimmy" Olsen, Oblivious Kara Danvers, Slow Burn, Smart Lena Luthor, SuperCorp, Sweet, angst but the good kind, art kid Kara, wlw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-03-08 22:56:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18904354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suprrrrcorp/pseuds/suprrrrcorp
Summary: “Anyone willing to help me before I’ve even said hello is good in my book.” Kara said shyly as she watched Lena’s pen trace along her handwriting from the night before. A small smile graced Lena’s face at those words.*Chapter 7 uploaded now





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just something I've been meaning to write for a while. Might be a good break from the heavy angst post reveal. Forgive me for any grammar mistakes, I triple checked it but just in case. I plan on continuing this and taking the story to more mature content, but I guess that depends on how this chapter is received. Anyway, feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think.

       The autumn midday sun draped itself across the grounds of National City University, lulling the other students currently between classes to an easy pace. A gentle breeze raced through the gaps of Kara’s lace back shirt and along her shoulder blades as she practically ran through the main quad. She was tempted to join them.

       Ultimately though, the fear that something was wrong with the physics homework currently clamped in her clammy hand was enough to push her forward towards the science department. The class was already challenging despite it only being the third week of the term. Going back home for the holidays this year with less than stellar grades wasn’t an option.

       As she rushed past the campus chapel, the resounding toll of a bell broke Kara out of her momentary autopilot.

       “Shoot!” she muttered as she pulled out her phone. “Ok, it’s only twelve-thirty, you’ve got thirty minutes until class starts. You’re totally fine, cut through this building and across the back lot. BOOM you’ll be there in enough time to find someone who hopefully knows what they are doing––”

        The heavy door gave under her shoulder and suddenly a chaos of overlapping conversation erupted around her, effectively cutting off her pep talk and leaving her frozen in place. The room, apparently a lunch hub she had yet to discover, was absolutely packed. People were wading through the aisles like sharks ready to snatch any table that became available. Across the room, Kara saw her goal...the exit.  
Random elbows knocked into her back and ribs as Kara attempted to gently work her way against the general traffic of the room.

        “Watch where you’re going!” some boy exclaimed as he shoved passed.

        “Excuse me, sorry––” she mumbled,

        “Ugh, look out!”

        “Oh sorry––”

        “Kara? Kara! KARA!” a familiar, thankfully friendly voice rose above the commotion. She could just make out James’s face through the crowd as he sat at a table only a few feet away. Admittedly he looked a little silly waving his hand around to get her attention while wearing a cut out tank top that boldly sported his fraternity letters. Even still, Kara gratefully made her way over to take a break from the masses.

        “Over here! I haven’t seen you since last spring, wow how are you doing? What are you doing here?” he laughed good naturedly, “I don’t think I’ve ever bumped into you in this hall.”

        “James, hey! You caught me, I definitely did not know this place existed. I thought this would be a shortcut to Edge’s office hours, but nope.”

        “Oooh rough, Edge is not easy. I’d offer to help, but I barely passed. The general course requirements are so stupid. I’m an art major, no way in hell will I ever use Physics 101.” he scoffed in annoyance at his predicament.

        “I totally get it, I just switched to double major in English and Photography. My patience for science has run out.” she commiserated. Kara’s exasperated laugh however was interrupted by a confident, measured voice she’d never heard before.

        “I can look that over if you want.”

        Turning to the right, Kara found herself confronted with the most stunning woman she had ever seen. Thick black hair was pulled up into a sleek top bun. Soft green eyes flicked between Kara’s face and the paper in her hand. Rose red lips were quirked ever so slightly in a sweet smile. The natural light that filled the room glinted off a delicate gold chain that rested against her chest, adding to the almost glow that her skin exuded. Just as Kara was noticing the way her curves filled out the white, silk, button-down that covered the girl’s frame, James’s large hand came down on Kara’s back.

         “Oh man, my bad. Lena this is Kara Danvers. Kara this is Lena Luthor, one of my best friends and the smartest person I know.” He turned to Kara again, “The Lena the guys and I were talking about last semester,” he whispered with conspiratorial wink. It took Kara all she had not to shutter. She remembered exactly what conversation he was referring to, something to do with bets on how long it would be until James hooked up with the mystery woman. It didn’t sit right with her.

         Lena reached an elegantly poised hand across the table in a proper greeting. Kara, rushing to free her hands, knocked her hip into the edge of the table top and stumbled forward. Through the flurry of thrown paperwork, a strong grip put a pause on Kara’s lurching forward. Lena had jumped up just enough to lock her hand under Kara’s elbow, and their faces were now only about a foot apart. Everything was suspended in slow motion as Kara watched Lena’s eyes drag down to her lips and felt fingertips glide up her forearm to hold her hand, as if Kara were some kind of princess stepping down the stairs rather than a dork that almost fell on her face.

         Lena’s gaze came back up to meet hers, “You had me worried Kara.” Her brow ticked up slightly, “I really like your lipstick,” she whispered lowly, “And would you look at that, we match.”

         Indeed, now that it had been brought to attention, the barely saturated pastel pink of Kara’s top was clearly reflected in Lena’s professionally done nails. Lena pulled away and moved to start collecting the papers, “Sorry this happened, I just wanted to offer my help. That is if you needed assistance. I’m a Biomedical Engineering major, so I’ve already taken general physics. Technically I took it in high school, but universities love to find more ways to make you pay them.” She sighed ruefully, “Anyway, I can look this over quickly? It will only take five minutes, you should sit with us.”

         Kara, still weary to speak in fear of embarrassing herself further in front of this goddess, simply nodded before slowly sitting down next to James.

         He barked out a laugh unexpectedly, “This is crazy. I’d never have thought to introduce you two. But actually, now that I think about it, you girls would probably make really good friends.”

         “Anyone willing to help me before I’ve even said hello is good in my book.” Kara said shyly as she watched Lena’s pen trace along her handwriting from the night before. A small smile graced Lena’s face at those words.

         The minutes dragged on and James filled them with idle talk about whatever dumb shit Apple Sigma Pie––who can keep up with these names anyway––was starting in the Greek Life Community. Pretending to listen to James’s nonsense was second nature at this point. Kara hummed along in the right places, meanwhile the whole time her true attention was flipping back and forth between the clock and slyly glancing over Lena’s form. The girl couldn’t be real. It was like looking at one of the Ancient Grecian marble statues Kara had to study in art history. A long enough exploration and the softness of the figure could lull a viewer into forgetting it was carved of something strong, at least until your eye runs over a jutting jaw line or distinct collar bone. There was something about Lena that just drew Kara in, something worth that exploration.

          At 12:57 p.m., a moment before Kara was gonna call it quits, cut her losses, and sprint to class, Lena triumphantly gathered the papers together.

          “Well, while some of these answers you could have gotten to a bit quicker had you used other equations, you did well all on your own. I only found a few instances where your negative and positive signs were flipped. Don’t worry, I already changed them and you have just enough time to make it to your one o’clock session I’m assuming?” Lena asked good naturedly.

          “Thank goodness and bless you Lena. You saved me points I’m desperately going to need,” she said through a breathless laugh, “you’re my hero today.”

          Kara could have sworn she saw a slight tinge in Lena’s cheeks before the other girl picked up her coffee cup to take a sip.

          “I’m glad I met you Kara,” she responded sweetly, “I hope I can be of use to you in the future.”

          “Me too.” Kara beamed, then turned on her heel and made an impressive dash for the exit through the crowd of late lunch go-ers.

          Had she even a second to look over her shoulder, Kara may have noticed Lena staring as she left. She may have seen Lena grab James by the collar of his ridiculous tank top. She may have been able to read Lena’s lips as she demanded to know why James had never mentioned Kara before. And she may have saved herself months of questioning to come.

          However, Kara was too busy trying collect the mental strength needed to willingly focus on the crass Prof. Edge rather than the beautiful girl that made her chest feel tight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena blinked before saying, “Oh, I was only trying to confirm my suspicion. I thought it might be you Kara, but I wanted to double check. With your hair down and glasses on you look different.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I guess I'm continuing this! So excited to see such a good response from you all, really encouraging so thank you. Continuing to build the relationship rn, but there is definitely more to come. Hope you like it! Again sorry for any grammar mistakes and feel free to comment.

        The soles of her sneakers scraped lightly against the gravel as she swung her legs idly from the bench. Her portfolio was placed protectively on the seat next to her. The campus shuttle was running a few minutes late, but Kara didn’t mind. Her thick sweatshirt was enough to block the crisp January breeze, and sweet lyrics flowed through her earbuds. Honing in on her breathing––in, hold, out, hold, repeat––and tapping out the rhythm against her leggings, Kara was content to zone out and try to let go of everything that happened early that day.

        Mike decided to text her out of the blue in the middle of her studio class. One minute, she was happily bouncing between pinning up new prints at her desk and editing digital photos on her laptop. The next, the pinging of her phone pulled Kara’s attention and suddenly Nia’s jokes and Winn’s responding laughter from the desks next to her fell away.

**Alex: Fuckface followed me around the grocery store asking about you.** **Took everything I had not throw him in one of the freezers. I did run over** **his foot with my cart for you tho xox**

  **Mike: Hey, saw your sister today. Just made me think of you**

        It’d been so long since she had seen his name. This was Mike’s m.o., disappear for long periods of time and reappear when he got bored. He hid his creepy tendencies behind enough of a veil of “kindness” that Kara never thought to question him. It wasn’t until after their break up senior year that Kara realized she had never been anything but a toy to him. In the almost two years since then the extent of that truth continued to expand. Distance from him and time to finally exist as her own person, something she hadn’t done in any of her young adult life because of that boy, had strengthened Kara’s resolve to revalue herself. Nevertheless, progress is a process, and truthfully it was disheartening how quickly and easily he could bring her down from happiness.

        At this point, she couldn’t even understand how she ever agreed to put up with him. She didn’t even remember how they officially started dating, which was odd since she did vividly remember denying his request at the “End of Middle School” dance. Sometime during the summer before high school started it seemed the whole town agreed the two of them were an item.

        She physically shook off that train of thought. Going down that rabbit hole would only make it take longer to get out of this mood. _We aren’t doing this anymore Kara._ She thought, _This is your chance now. You’re gonna go to the dining hall, get some fries, head up to your room and watch The Good Place. Relaxing only, starting by getting on this shuttle._

        Grabbing the handles of her portfolio and re-shouldering her bag, Kara made the short ascent up the shuttle steps into the compartment. All the seats were empty at this point, Friday evenings didn’t see many students still on main campus but the art school seemed to be run on a different schedule. She let herself fall heavily in the second row from the front before leaning against the window and closing her eyes. Settled in, she waited for the driver to pull away.

        The rocking of the bus as it navigated the uneven pavement was no match for Kara's determination to rest. The unexpected tapping at her knee was a different story altogether. Startled, Kara bolted upright, knocking her glasses askew. Through the corner of the lens still in front of her eye, she recognized a familiar figure that only served to jump start her heart at double the rate of panic she was already in.

         Just across the aisle sat none other than Lena Luthor. It had been four months since Kara had seen her, but she could have sworn the girl was somehow even more beautiful than she remembered. Her dark hair was tied in a loose braid and draped over her shoulder. The sleeves of her denim jacket were cuffed to her mid forearm and the buttons were left undone revealing a simple black v-neck tee. The shirt was tucked loosely into a pair of black jeans that were ripped at the knees and stopped just above her white sneakers. She was all at once effortlessly enthralling and entirely relaxed. The desire to take her picture flitted through Kara's head. 

         Lena retracted her hand, pulled back, and sat up straight in her own seat after realizing she had gotten Kara’s attention. The other girls lips began to mould around words Kara couldn’t hear due to the music still pouring out of her earbuds. Quickly putting up her hand in a stopping motion, Kara paused the music and gathered herself before apologizing.

        “Sorry, I didn’t know anyone else was on the bus,” she said bashfully, “I didn’t hear a word you said.” 

        Green eyes followed Kara’s hand as the blonde tucked a stray hair behind her ear after adjusting her glasses to sit properly on her nose again. The short pause gave Kara just enough time to meet her gaze again and hum quietly as a repetition of her question.

        Lena blinked before saying, “Oh, I was only trying to confirm my suspicion. I thought it might be you Kara, but I wanted to double check. With your hair down and glasses on you look different.”

        Kara giggled at that, “Are you sure it’s not because of the utter mess I am right now,” she said gesturing to her entire self.

        “Please, you look comfortable and that’s something everyone is striving for here. If we really wanted to blame my confusion on something, we might attribute it to my not seeing a certain someone for almost four months now." Lena paused and pointed to Kara’s chest, “I didn’t know you played lacrosse.”

         Flustered Kara glanced down and saw her high school’s decal encircled in GIRLS LAX.  “Oh no, I don’t. This is my sister's. I’m more of a power yoga person. A lot of people don’t understand how much strength yoga takes when you practice seriously, not to mention how important flexibility is in general. It helps me clear my head to remember I can trust my body in so many wa––and I’m rambling again, ugh and you're laughing at me!” Kara threw her hands up exasperatedly. 

        Bringing her light laugh down to a small smile Lena reassured, “No, no, I admire your enthusiasm.” Her brow ticked up in a familiar manner, “I have no doubt in your strength, and I’m always looking for ways to work on my own flexibility. Maybe we could go to a class together some time.” 

        The potential of spending more time with this girl, plus the wink that followed that suggestion, had Kara smiling broadly, “I’d like that.”

        “Good, well you can enter your number after we get off,” Lena gave the other girl her phone and motioned to the door as the shuttle came to a halt outside the residential community. Having exited first, Lena turned around to offer her help. And for a moment the two girls locked hands again like they had not so long ago. This time Kara joked softly, "Prepared to catch me if I fall, Lena?"

        Without pause Lena responded in the same tone, "Always."

        Standing together at the shuttle stop, both sporting barely noticeable blushes, Kara finished entering her name and number into Lena’s contacts and returned the girls phone. Lena’s fingers tapped at the screen until a pinging could be heard from Kara’s own pocket. The blonde opened her messages to find

**Maybe- Lena: Hey, it’s Lena. Don’t forget about me this time.**

        Kara scoffed at that and playfully swat at Lena’s shoulder, “I’m not the only one who didn’t reach out! But in all seriousness I had no clue how busy I was going to be last fall.”

        “Believe me, I can understand being busy.” Lena hesitated before continuing, “Just in case yoga doesn’t fit in our schedules, maybe you could hang out next Friday? James and I are neighbors, second year in a row, and we were gonna have a joint dorm party. A few friends is all, if you're into that.”

        “I’d love to,” Kara agreed happily before a thought crossed her mind, “I don’t drink though. I want to be up front about that in case that’s an issue. I understand if you don’t want a sober person ‘ruining the fun,' would be totally fine if you felt that way. I’ve heard it before. But also I promise I wouldn’t just be a bump on a log so to speak. I love meeting new people….and music!” Slightly out of breath she mumbled, “I would really like to go.”

        Lena’s patient smile only grew during Kara’s rambling, “And I think you should come. Lord knows I can drink those boys under the table, but I could use a hand remembering to drink some water once in a while. Plus it would be nice to have another girl around that isn’t my insufferable roommate. I’ll text you the address later.”

         The dark haired girl bent down to lift the portfolio from where it had been placed on the ground during their exchange and handed it back to Kara. Hands brushed ever so slightly, prompting a shiver to run down Kara’s spine. With a small wave, Lena turned and walked in the direction of her dorm building, calling over her shoulder enthusiastically, “You should go get some fries, they make everything better. It’s magic, I swear!”

         Kara laughed freely and yelled back, “You read my mind!” She watched Lena’s figure disappear behind Grant Hall thinking, _Definitely some type of magic_.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara found herself watching the other girl during the exchange. The changing colors of the lights reflected hypnotically off her pale skin. And there was something in the way she tilted her head, flicked her wrist, or even crossed her legs. Every move seemed subconsciously measured, it was the kind of poise Kara always prayed one of her studio models would have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the support! I hope you all like this chapter, I had fun writing it. Again please feel free to comment, I'll respond eventually lol. Sorry about any of the grammar. I'm challenging myself to crank this out, so it's a little crazy.

_No….no….definitely not….maybe…._

        “Shoot! Why didn’t I listen to Alex?” another cardigan joined the stack on her bed, “I’m going to look so out of place,” Kara groaned.

        It was already past 9:00 and Lena had told her to come over at 10:00, but the night of the party found Kara sitting in her desk chair wrapped in her favorite robe. In an attempt to multitask, she had proceeded with softly curling her hair and applying a thin layer of mascara while pondering if any of the clothing she owned would work. The conclusion…simply no.

        The muffled slam of the front door cut into Kara’s fretting, and the blonde had never been so grateful to share a suite in her life. “Sam!” she exclaimed while running out of her bedroom, “I need your help. Like desperately need it.”

        There in the living room, whole body sprawled along the couch and wavy brown hair flipped over the armrest, was Sam still clad in all her soccer gear.

        “Ugh,” she groaned, “Kara, hun, we’ve talked about this. When my butt hits the cushions after practice, especially late practice, you can’t expect me to move for at least two hours. It’s cruel really!”

        “I know, I know, and I’m so sorry. I promise this is important though, please, please, plea––”

        “Oh god, fine just stop begging. I’ll consider your request. What’s up?”

        Striding over to the armchair so she could face the brunette, Kara took a seat before stating seriously, “I have nothing to wear.”

        Sam’s eyes flew open, “Are you––You’re going out?” she gasped.

        “It’s just a small dorm party,” Kara gestured casually, “I wouldn’t call it ‘going out’.”

        “Hmmm,” Sam hummed incredulously, “and do tell just who has enough sway on Kara Danvers to convince her to leave the comfort of a memory foam mattress at this hour?”

        “Pfff stop it Sam. It’s just James...and a few friends….and Lena,” she trailed off.

        “Did you just say Lena? Like Lena Luthor. That Lena.”

        “Um yes actually, do you know her?”

        “Kara! Everyone knows Lena,” she exclaimed, “the girl is the smartest person in her major, president of the BME council, a TA for J’onzz’s Biomechanics course––which is a very lucrative position just to give you some perspective, a Student Advisor for one of the freshmen dorms, runs the largest student led fashion show on campus, and somehow still has time to hang out at the frats. Like regularly hang out Kara! And she’s doing better in school than I ever will!”

        Stunned by this flood of new information, Kara fumbled to find a response. Her silence did little to deter Sam from continuing her early interrogation.

        “I’m surprised James invited you. It seems like a very different crowd than you usually spend time with. Surprised, but still glad you’re doing something other than working like crazy. When are you leaving?”

        “James didn’t invite me,” wringing her hands, Kara nervously continued, “Lena did. And I’m supposed to be there at 10:00.”

        Sam furrowed her brows, “Lena invited you?” she mumbled perplexed, “10 o’clock, that’s uhhh,” quickly checking her phone she gasped, “that’s in 25 minutes! Why are we just sitting here? Come with me.”

       The brunette pulled Kara roughly into her room and sat her down on the bed before turning to rummage through her closet. “Usually I’d tell you not to give a shit for a dorm party, but if Lena invited you then you have to put in some effort. She’s always put together.”

       “Get dressed superstar,” Sam joked as she threw a pile of clothes in Kara’s lap.

       Five minutes later, Kara stood at the front door clad in high-neck, sleeveless, navy crop top and slim-fit, light wash jeans. Sam rushed to slide Kara’s arms through the sleeves of her black bomber jacket, tousled the girl’s blonde girls, and step back to assess her creation.

       “It’s perfect Kara. Casual and muted enough that you don’t look like you were trying, but on the other hand all three A’s are highlighted.” Sam approved with a wink.

       “The three A’s?” Kara asked.

       “Uhhhh yeah, arms, abs, and ass. Really Kara, sometimes it’s ok to tastefully flaunt what you got.”

       Kara blushed hard, “Ok, that’s my cue. Thank you, I owe you one. I really have to go now though I don’t want to be late.”

      “Of course, have fun hun. Call me if you need anything.”

      Halfway out of the suite, Kara’s phone went off.

**Lena: U still coming?**

**Kara: Yes ofc!! On my way now <3**

      Having sent the message, a question came to mind. She pushed the door ajar once more and called out to her roommate, “Hey Sam, what was so interesting about Lena inviting me?”

      Stepping out to lean against her bedroom door frame, Sam shrugged, “She’s just one of those people that everyone knows, but no one really _knows._ Does that make sense?”

      Her phone vibrated in her hand again. Focused on the text, Kara tried to mask her uncertainty as she replied, “I guess so,” she sighed, “ok, I’m leaving for real this time. Bye!”

**Lena: Good, you had me worried.**

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

       One detour, a bit of wandering around to find the right room, and fifteen minutes later, Kara was lent against the wall listening to the obscured bass coming from inside and patiently waiting.

         **Kara: I’m outside! And I brought a gift!**

         **Lena: Two presents in one night, I must be lucky lol. I’ll let u in.**

        She heard the lock bolt retract then all at once the hall filled with music and Kara’s vision filled with Lena. Lena in her skin tight jeans and open-back, scarlet top. Lena with her long hair swinging back behind her shoulder. Lena with her perfect eyeliner, flushed cheeks, and red lips. Lena with her green eyes widening at the same rate her arms were reaching out.

        “Oh my god, please tell me there are fries in that box,” Lena practically yelled in excitement as she swayed forward to take it from the blonde. Finding herself to be correct, she exclaimed light heartedly, “Kara you spoil me. Those two minutes you made me wait with your tardiness? Forgiven of course.”

        “I figured magical, salty snacks might bring me back into your good graces.” she teased back.

        Lena took a confident step, bringing their faces inches apart. Lazy knuckles grazed across the exposed skin above Kara’s waistband, so quickly she couldn’t tell if the action was purposeful, before a soft hand gently grasped her own. “I’d have been happy with something sweet, too” she whispered breathlessly.

        In the second it took Kara to blink, the other girl had already pulled away and begun dragging her into the dorm.

        James and a few boys Kara recognized from his fraternity were sat in front of the muted TV watching what looked to be _March of the Penguins_. An elementary school classic truly, but still extremely out of place given the 15 some figures filling the rest of the rather small space talking and bobbing along to the beat. A line of L.E.D lights around the ceiling transitioned slowly through the colors of the rainbow that painted the room in hues every few minutes. They reached their destination when Lena came to a stop at the fold out table set up in front of the coat closet, atop which a series of cheap wine, even cheaper beer, water, and various chips were arranged for the taking. Lena quickly poured a cup of wine for herself and handed Kara a water bottle before relinking their hands and making a beeline for the couch.

        “Move dimwits,” Lena demanded, gaze boring into the two boys next to James.

        “Come on now Lena, don’t be like that. We got here first,” one said smugly.

         Lena laughed sharply, “Bold of you to assume I give a shit Chris. And not that I need to give you a reason at my own damn party, but you’ve been here almost an hour. Get off your lazy ass, we want to sit down.”

         While little taken aback and kind of impressed, Kara was still a bit worried about causing some kind of commotion. “I’m fine standing Lena, really it’s ok, she said.”

         “See Lena, your friend agrees,” the other boy chimed in, “although I’d be willing to get up for a dance blondie––”

         Lena had grabbed the open water bottle out of Kara’s hand and poured almost half of it right on to the boys shirt. “Oops. You better go dry off. Oh and Chris I think it’s best if you go help him,” she prodded.

         Kara barely contained her laughter after that. Getting up in a huff, the boys pushed past them muttering something about a stuck up bitch along the way.

         Lena smiled happily and pulled Kara down to sit with her. James having witnessed the whole event just sighed casually, “Your majesty, her esteemed guest, I’m honored to be joined by you both.”

         “They deserved it. Pricks the both of them. Kara I promise I wouldn’t have done that otherwise,” Lena explained.

         “Funny,” James chimed, “then why do so many of the guys back at the house have similar stories?”

         “Because it’s a house full of frat brothers, in other words pricks. I was very clear James.”

         “Even Brainy?”

         “Obviously not!” Lena objected, “You will notice I have never once spilled a drink on him. I cannot for the life of me figure out what he is doing there, but that’s another story.”

          Kara found herself watching the other girl during the exchange. The changing colors of the lights reflected hypnotically off her pale skin. And there was something in the way she tilted her head, flicked her wrist, or even crossed her legs. Every move seemed subconsciously measured, it was the kind of poise Kara always prayed one of her studio models would have. The subtle tightening of the grip on her hand had Kara dragging her eyes up to meet Lena’s again.

          “Sorry about your drink, love,” she said sweetly, “I’ll get you another one.”

          “I didn’t doubt it.” Kara assured.

           The three of them spent almost the next hour refilling their drinks and reminiscing about younger days as penguins toddled across the screen in front of them. Lena was noticeable quieter when it came to herself, but she eagerly pressed Kara for silly anecdotes. James eventually spread his arm along the back of the couch behind Lena under the pretense of getting more comfortable. The dark haired girl made no move to pull away. Although, how aware she even was of the presence was unclear, given at the time her focus was on Kara. Still, the pit it created in Kara’s stomach was unexpected and just a bit unsettling.

           When the movie in front of them came to an end, James stood up to use the bathroom. Lena shifted to lay her head on Kara’s shoulder, breathing deeply she asked, “What time is it?”

           Kara moved to take out her phone and check, only to find the device was dead. She chastised herself remembering she never plugged it in before she left due to her own nerves, “I wish I could tell you, but my phone’s out of juice.”

           Lena reached into her pocket and grabbed hers, “10:54, that’s better than I thought. I kind of want to get out of here.” She sat up slowly and started stroking the back of Kara’s hand with her thumb. “You could come over if you want? I’ve got every streaming service you can think of and I’ll throw in a phone charger if that will seal the deal.”

           “Isn’t this a joint dorm party, isn't this your dorm?” Kara questioned.

           Lena lifted her free hand and smoothed the crease that had formed in Kara’s brow, “It was jointly hosted, I invite people James wants to meet and he provides the space. I’m just across the hall.”

           Kara’s breath hitched as Lena’s forefinger traced down the side of her face. Shakily she responded, “That makes sense.” Clearing her throat, she continued stronger, “Lead the way.”

           She smiled wistfully before gently pulling Kara up from the couch and out of the dorm. When Lena let go of her hand in order to slide the keycard in her own door, Kara caught herself thinking she’d probably follow this girl anywhere. How that happened so quickly was beyond her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quiet sigh had Kara coming back to the moment. Chancing a glance, she caught a glimpse of Lena repeatedly linking her fingers above the blanket and wondered if the other girl was just as nervous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, again I hope you all enjoy this addition. I can't wait to start getting into more of their dynamic. As always please leave comments, they are really encouraging even if it's just a heart. I've loved doing this so far! (Sorry for any grammar issues, it's late lol)

        The two girls stepped into the dorm slowly, eyes adjusting to the dim light pouring from the bathroom into the otherwise dark living room. The suite setup mirrored that of James’s with a single couch and coffee table were staged in front of the flat screen. Lena moved to the first bedroom and quietly pushed it open enough to peek in. Spinning back around to face Kara, “Yes! She must still be out. Eve is just so nosy, I didn’t want to put you through that your first time here,” she grinned. Kara took a hesitant seat on the sofa, watching Lena turn on the TV and rush into her own bedroom. A moment later she reappeared triumphantly holding her laptop in one hand and a bag of Hershey Kisses in the other.

       “Ok I’m gonna set up Netflix, and you’re gonna open the chocolate.” Lena giggled, “Any requests?”

       “Oh gosh, um, I’ve been catching up on The Good Place, The Office, and was recently bullied into starting Gossip Girl,” Kara visibly cringed, “don’t make fun of me.”

       “Well you're in luck, love. I was bullied into watching that when it was still airing, so I’ve already seen it. Let’s just turn that on then, because truly I’m not going to be able to focus on a plot line.”

       Lena strode to the opposite end of the sofa, still swaying slightly as she went, and fell heavily on the cushions.

 _Why is she so far away?_ Kara thought abruptly as her gaze fell to the other girl’s hand longingly. _Reaching out would be weird right? What am I doing? Of course it would be._ In an attempt to reel her nerves back in, Kara opted to shed her jacket and toss it haphazardly toward the entrance.

       “You should hand me that blanket,” Lena mumbled and lazily gestured to the arm rest by the blonde. Kara obliged and the other girl wasted no time tucking the fabric around her waist. Silence bridged between them under the flickering glow of the television. The tension had Kara’s knee quivering under the weight of it, yet at the same time her lungs emptied in relief at the unexpected peace in it all. She wasn’t sure if breaking the comfort of this moment would be better than wading through it.

       All night Kara had been observing, socializing and sharing yes, but always observing. She noticed that sincerity beamed from Lena with ease and drew people to her. Conversation flowed where Lena directed it, smoothly navigating the topic away from herself yet remaining center stage. The girl was admired, a simple tilt of her chin brought about a chorus of complements ranging in direction from the regality of her posture to her earrings. Lena Luthor commanded a room in a manner that was a combination of natural, humble, and welcoming. And although Kara knew she faded into the periphery for most of the other guests, she didn’t mind when Lena was looking at her so clearly. Others might gravitate to Lena, but, for some reason, they were content to orbit––too timid to approach the sun. Kara felt recharged the more she was next to Lena.

       The blonde wanted to understand her thoroughly, and the only way to do that was to communicate...even if it had to start with her. A quiet sigh had Kara coming back to the moment. Chancing a glance, she caught a glimpse of Lena repeatedly linking her fingers above the blanket and wondered if the other girl was just as nervous.

       Closing the distance between them, Kara gently tugged on the edge of the blanket bunched at Lena’s hip. “Care to share?” she quipped.

       Lena’s soft eyes met hers and Kara almost swore she heard her breath hitch, “Always.”

       The girls shifted together, denim clad thighs brushing together under the blanket and arms barely touching. A glint caught her eye and Kara gently brought Lena’s wrist up to examine it. There a simple gold band engraved with “let your light shine” was wrapped.

       “I love that phrase,” Lena said shyly.

       “I think it suits you,” she smiled.

       “Did you have a good time?” Lena continued and she reached for a chocolate.

       “Yes, more so than I expected to,” Kara replied as she mimicked her action, “I might regret sharing a few of those ‘most embarrassing moments’ though. I never realized how many of those started and ended with my ex.”

       “Mike seems like a complete asshole truthfully.” She hesitated, “if you wanted to talk about it, I’d listen. Those types of guys don’t usually stop at just the practical joke in my experience.”

       “Oh you don’t have to do that, rea––” the lifting of Lena’s brow stopped the blonde mid sentence, “ok, ok, I might take you up on that another night.”

       “Good. Hmmm, but really,” Lena hummed, “I can’t imagine you to be the one left embarrassed when it comes to suddenly missing clothes after a dip in the lake, darling. With these?” she playful pinched Kara’s bicep and which the poor girl sputter a bit.

       “Y–yup, regretting it,” Kara blushed, “I noticed you didn’t share with the class.”

       “I was never a crazy kid really, there’s not much to share.”

       “Come on, I might buy you weren’t crazy, but you’re definitely more than not much.”

       Lena looked down at her lap, causing her long hair to cascade forward and serve as a background to her strong profile. Kara watched attentively as the girl brought another candy to her mouth and ate it slowly before replying quietly, “I cried in front of my whole second grade class.”

       “Awww Lena,” Kara cooed, “that’s your embarrassing story? Honey, I’d like to meet one kid who didn’t.

       “Well when you go to an elite, private elementary school where everyone’s parents are some type of cut throat CEO, you’d be surprised exactly how little tears a shed Kara,” Lena chided. “It was even worse when they found out my moment of weakness was had for losing my favorite teddy bear,” she continued mournfully.

       Bringing her arm around Lena’s shoulders in what she hoped was a comforting hug, Kara reassured, “When you tell it that way, I can see how that would be….terrifying.” The blonde shuddered, “I know I would have been in the exact same state had I lost my own favorite plush puppy.”

       “Yes, well,” Lena seemed to shake off her momentary display of emotion, “I suppose we’re even now aren’t we? We know each others deepest secrets right.” she joked half-heartedly.

       A gut feeling advised her not to push further, “We’re starting too,” Kara agreed soothingly.

       At that, Lena’s gaze met hers once more and a weight Kara hadn’t realized was on her chest fell away. In the soft blue strobe of the TV, she saw a spark in those green eyes and something clicked deep in Kara’s subconscious when those scarlet lips curved into a delicate smile.

       Their little bubble popped as the obnoxiously loud exit music for the episode made itself known. They resituated, Lena’s head laid gently on Kara’s shoulder, and happily dug into the chocolate once more as autoplay kicked in on the browser. The room filled with unrestrained laughter as the girls took turns making fun of the entirely ridiculous characters on the screen and Lena demanded Kara guess the identity of the villain at the end of each episode.

       Halfway through the third one, the front door flew open and a curly-blonde haired girl stumbled in. Upon realizing she wasn’t alone, the stranger blurted, “OH! Lena you’re still up, who’s your friend? AH shoot, I’m not supposed to ask questions randomly!” her hands flew up to cover her face almost comically.

       Lena chuckled, “No, Eve that’s definitely an ok thing to ask. This is Kara, Kara this is my roommate, Eve.”

       “Hi!” Kara said kindly.

       Eve smiled in return, “As much as I’d love to actually meet you Kara, I’m afraid I can barely keep my eyes open right now. I’ll probably fall asleep standing up any minute now,” she joked.

       Kara picked up her phone and seeing it was nearly one in the morning drew in a sharp breath, “I don’t blame you.” Turning to Lena she said, “We must have lost track of time huh?”

       “Well, I’m gonna go collapse now. Nice seeing you Kara, goodnight girls,” Eve called as she made her way to her room. Once the door shut, the other two girls burst into another fit of giggles.

       “I’ll grab your jacket,” said Lena.

       The dark haired girl held up the coat in a move to help put it on her as Kara turned around. Kara slid her arms through the sleeves slowly, then moved to face Lena one more time.

       “I’m really glad you invited me,” Kara said, “I hope this isn’t the last I see of you.”

       “It won’t be,” Lena replied sweetly.

       “Good, we have more secrets to share,” she teased.

       “Mine aren’t worth it Kara,” Lena self deprecated, rolling her eyes slightly.

       Kara pouted before linking their hands and saying, “I’m going to take my chances.”

       With a burst of confidence, Kara leaned forward slowly and pressed a gentle kiss to the other girl’s cheek. The faint scent of chocolate filled her senses as Kara pulled back slightly, her lips hovering just above Lena’s soft skin.

       Rushing to put a few inches between the two of them again, the blonde urged, “Text me sometime.” And with that she was out the door and heading back to her own dorm.

       Lena stood frozen, staring at the spot Kara had just occupied. Slowly her hand came up to brush her cheek.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

       Kara lay in bed, still trying to understand why she felt….what she supposed was uneasy. She kisses her friends cheeks all the time, yet for some reason it felt different with Lena.

       Her phone vibrated on her desk.

**Lena: Goodnight, Kara**

       Grinning to herself as she typed out a response, Kara was content to save her wondering for later. Tonight had been a good night, and that’s all that mattered.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara was entirely unprepared to see her tonight, and with James again, it had her stomach flipping for a few reasons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, a bit more character interaction and important build up! I'm so excited for the next chapter where we will see more of Kara's reaction/processing to the ending of this one. Thank you so much for all the nice comments and for returning to the story. Hope you like! As always sorry for any errors, I go through and edit in the mornings.

       Late January quickly faded into the first week of February and the grey skies that had plagued National City cleared. The chill that still hung in the air was all but forgotten as students filled the university’s quads to appreciate the natural light. Everyone was looking to relax now that the first round of exams was coming to an end.

       Studying English and Art lent Kara’s time to be spent finishing projects rather than studying for tests. The past week and a half, a majority of her waking hours were spent holed up at her studio desk. Switching between literary analysis papers, a small collection of original poems, and working with models, editing, and curating her photos for critique left little chance for sleep. It was late Thursday night when Kara was finally able to step off the shuttle in front of her dormitory and let her shoulders sink in relief with the knowledge that her work was done. The whole world seemed brighter without that stress on her shoulders. The street lights gleamed. The students she passed, on their way to that night’s frat parties, were brimming with joy. And Kara, well she was practically sprinting to get home.

       Bursting into her room, Kara threw herself on to the bed. “I never want to leave you again,” she cooed and held one of her pillows tightly to her chest.

       “Awww honey, why didn’t you tell me sooner that you loved me?” Sam’s voice filtered in through the open door, getting louder as she approached. “I feel the same way, sweet Kara,” she teased from her new position at the edge of the bed.

      “You wish,” she laughed. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to be done Sam,” turning over to finally look at her roommate, Kara asked, “Oh are you heading out?”

      “Yeah, just for a bit. Hanging out with a few girls from the team. What about you?”

      “I’m going to take the hottest shower known to mankind, blast music, and probably grab some dessert from the dining hall downstairs. If all goes well, I will be comatose by the time you get back.”

      “Damn girl ok, I see you. Self care is important. I’ll leave you to it,” Sam promised as she headed out.

      Hearing the bolt click into place, Kara dragged herself from the bed and connected her phone to the speaker set up on the nightstand. With her favorite playlist echoing through the suite, the blonde began eagerly singing along and shifting easily between lyrics and genres.

      The hot water did wonders for her tense shoulders and the obscene amounts of milk & honey scented lotion she worked into her skin was so relaxing that Kara was tempted to just turn in. Alas, her sweet tooth could not be ignored any longer. After messily twisting up her damp in a large jaw clip, throwing on a pair of hot pink shorts underneath an oversized pale yellow hoodie, and grabbing her glasses, Kara declared herself decent enough to go downstairs.

       The dining hall was noticeably packed. Nearly every booth was filled, mostly with freshmen and a number of sophomores making drunken fools of themselves or passing out while they ate. Kara strode past, determination written across her face as she made a beeline for the candy. She filled her arms with everything: Reese’s, Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids, Milky Way, Cake Batter ice cream, Butter Pecan ice cream, Cookie dough ice cream, and two whole packs of actual Pillsbury Cookie Dough. After checking out and attempting to fit as many of her purchases in the front pocket of her hoodie as possible, Kara was ready to go back up.

       Halfway to the stairwell, a force knocked into Kara from behind and the blonde thanked god for every yoga class she’s ever taken that allowed her in that moment to maintain her balance. A quick assessment that her hoard of snacks was alright and Kara was whipping around with heat in her eyes.

       “What the hell?” She seethed before registering that the focus of her anger was James. A smiley, lethargic, and hands full with a box of fries and chicken tenders James.

       “Kara!” He exclaimed, “My bad, wasssup?”

       “No harm, no foul.” Kara forgave quickly, “Just heading upstairs before this ice cream melts, what’s up with you? Seems like you had a fun night,” she chuckled.

       “Chilling with some friends. We got a booth,” he grinned, “you should join!”

       “I don’t thi––”

       “Nah, come on, come on, come on,” he drawled while grasping her elbow and guiding her along, “it’ll be fun.”

       “O-ok, I suppose a few minutes won’t hurt.” Kara agreed begrudgingly. But James wasn’t listening, his attention was attuned to a group of three people filling the back corner booth. She could just see the back of someone’s head covered by an orange baseball cap in the bench closest to her. And out of the two boys facing her direction, Kara knew the lanky one with longer dark hair to be Nia’s boyfriend, Brainy, but couldn’t place the other. Before she could examine any further James’s booming voice sounded as he called, “Look who I found guys!”

       The boys looked up and as the third figure turned their head Kara’s heart sped up. Almost in slow motion Lena’s profile came into view and a moment later her beautiful green eyes were widening in recognition...and dare Kara hoped joy. The two had added each other on snapchat and been texting off and on during the last school wide hell week, but there seemed to be a silent agreement that seeing each other again would be postponed. Kara was entirely unprepared to see her tonight, and with James again, it had her stomach flipping for a few reasons.

       But then Lena was shimming out of the booth and twirling to face Kara, causing the hem of her little black dress to flare under that familiar jean jacket, and she put all other thoughts aside. Bouncing over, Lena grasped Kara by her other elbow and promptly tugged her away from James and back to seat beside her.

        “Hi, love,” she said with an ardent smile. “Haven’t seen you in a while,” Lena’s hand came up to tuck a stray curl behind Kara’s ear, before drifting closer and lowering her voice to say, “I like this color, you look cute.”

        “Dude!” James cut in indignantly, “where the hell am I supposed to sit now.”

        “Oh quit whining and pull up a chair,” Lena chided, “I’ve sat next to you enough.”

        James ultimately caved, but grumbled the entire way making his four friends laugh at his expense. Once everyone was settled, James at his new position at the head of the table and Kara with her goodies laid out in front of her, Brainy readdressed the group.

        “It’s really good to see you again Kara. Nia has been keeping me updated about all the happenings in studio. I hope your project is going well.”

        “Oh thank you! I feel confident in my work for once,” she laughed, “I had a few my friends from my journalism class model for me and they were absolute gems. I think they look beautiful.”

        The other boy next to Brainy perked up at her response and began speaking at the same time Lena did.

        “Did you say jou––”

        “You work with mo––”

        Their overlapping voices spurred an almost immediate staring contest. Looking to James and Brainy for an indication of what to do, Kara found the two boys entirely unfazed even after hearing Lena groan in defeat.

        “Fine you win this time,” she conceded, “insufferable prick.”

        The boy pumped his fist emphatically and directed his voice to Kara, “Did you say you’re in a journalism class?” The boy continued, “Sorry,” stretching his hand out to shake, “Clark Kent, journalism major.” He was trying his best to appear professional, but Kara could detect a slight slur to his words. Nonetheless, she shook his hand politely.

        “Neat! I’m taking the course as an elective, but I love it so far––”

        “Yes, yes, you both like writing,” James interrupted, “but guys we have to get back to what’s important.” He glanced around as if making sure no one else was listening to them, then drawled on into a whisper, “Donuts!”

        “Ah yes, let me explain.” Brainy continued,” Before your arrival Kara, we were debating whether or not to make a quick trip down to D.E.O. I would drive of course seeing as this lot is less than sober. You’re welcome to come.”

        “I’m sorry, what’s the D.E.O?” she questioned, furrowing her brow.

        “Donuts for Every Occasion,” Lena responded. Linking her arm with the blonde’s she beamed, “They’re open ‘til 2:00 a.m., how cool is that? Please come.”

        Truthfully, Kara was ready to bite at the mention of the pastries, but if she had needed motivation Lena’s little pout would have her hook, line, and sinker.

        “Ok! Let me just go run this stuff up to my mini-fridge and I’ll be right back,” she agreed happily.

        Kara returned quickly as promised. The group cleared out of the dining hall and began the short trek. Brainy and James led the group, Lena migrated to hold Kara’s right hand, and Clark was walking backwards in order to face the two girls and continue asking Kara about journalism.

        “Clark do give it a rest please,” Lena grumbled, “You’ve had your turn to talk to her. She’s not even your friend.”

        “Yet,” he corrected teasingly, taking her attitude like a pro, “really Lena, you don’t need to be snippy. Lex would never speak to me like that,” he joked, laughing lightly, “You were fine before she joined us and you’re being kind to her now, what’s the deal?”

        Lena didn’t respond, rather she leaned further into Kara’s side as they came up to the car doors. James took the passenger seat and the other three filed into the back seat with Lena in the middle.

        As Clark clicked his seat belt into place, he noticed Lena linking her fingers repeatedly in her lap while Kara was busy trying to yank her own belt out of its locked position. His head shot up and the two dark haired teens locked eyes. One look confirmed his suspicions. Knowing exactly what he was going to do, Lena rushed to cover the boys mouth but Clark was quick to block her.

       “She’s _the_ Kara!” he cried. And everyone in the car went still, the only sound being Kara’s belt finally clicking into place. The unexpected noise had four sets of eyes whipping to the source.

       “Um, it’s just Kara. No ‘the’ beforehand,” the blonde joked shyly in an attempt to break the awkwardness.

       “Oh Lena,” Clark intoned shaking his head. Focusing again on Kara he said, “She speaks very highly of you.”

       Kara’s cheeks flushed and she thanked heaven it was so dark. She smiled fondly and glanced toward the other girl. However, Lena’s gaze was still locked on Clark. From their position, he was the only one to see the fire behind her eyes, yet his tipsy state left him unfazed by it. Suddenly a pale hand rested lightly on Kara’s lower thigh before Lena seethed, “HA, HA, Clark. Congrats you figured it out. This is Kara Danvers, my girlfriend.”

       It was all too much for Kara to process: the cool touch that left her skin burning; the term of endearment; and the obvious layers of inside jokes and private conversations alluded to by the jabs shared between friends. Kara’s brain practically short circuited. Then it really melted when Lena said just to her, "I was going to say earlier, I want to model for you."

       Brainy had apparently chosen to ignore them and the radio was switched on as the car made its way down the street. Kara responded on autopilot for the rest of the drive. The fruity scent of wine was easier to detect with Lena this close. She knew she wouldn’t have been privy to this convo had the two teens been sober, and that was enough to convince her to lock it away.

       Soon enough they were parked under the green neon light of the D.E.O. “OPEN” sign.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something shifted in Lena’s gaze and she dropped the flirty act. Kara watched those green eyes as they traced her face looking for any sign of insincerity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok! I hope you all like this one and are sticking around! Like the tag says, this is a slow burn, but i'm trying to make up for it by giving y'all content as quickly as possible. This is going to be a happy ending, and in order to make that more fulfilling I want to build their connection and their similarities. Next chapter will be Kara and Lena only. As always please leave comments (if you want) or ask your questions! I'll respond eventually and sorry for any errors.

       Stepping on to the sidewalk, Kara noticed they were in quite literally the quietest part of the city she’d ever been to. She rarely ventured far from campus considering she didn’t own a car, even still, she had gone on a multitude of field trips for her studio work. This was entirely new territory. What she knew to be headlights on the highway were reduced to streaks along the horizon line of her vision. The street, while lined with stout structures on either side, appeared nearly abandoned. The occupants of the other parked cars were presumably inside. Boarded windows and chipping paint from the previous neighboring stores served merely to reflect the neon green lights hung above the D.E.O.’s entrance. Directly across the road, a heavy metal door was thrown open as a large man stumbled out to light a cigarette. Judging from the worn, stained wood siding, lack of windows, and general din that could be heard before the door shut once more, Kara assumed the building was an unmarked bar. 

       It was unsettling to the point of cinematic. The confidence with which the other four entered the shop convinced Kara to relax a little as she followed them. The inside of the D.E.O. was decked in murals of the galaxies covering the walls and the classic stick-on dark stars emitted an ethereal green glow from where they peppered the ceiling. Various trinkets and collectors items of Hollywood’s most notable characters from outer space filled the shelves around the single room, too haphazard to be purely for display but demanding attention in their lack of coherence. The display cases built into the counter were designed to look like miniature cryogenic tubes, and held, to Kara’s surprise, some of the prettiest donuts she had ever seen. Nearly, all of the flavors were in fact normal, which came as a shock given their surroundings, but they were iced and glazed to perfection and nearly identical in shape and size. 

       Brainy and Clark snagged one of the small tables near the register while James addressed the girls, “I’m getting a dozen to split, want in? I’ll pay.”

        “Please a dozen will barely feed Kent. If you all want to share go ahead, Kara and I can split another order. I’ve got my own money.”

        The boy shrugged before lumbering over to the cashier and reciting his order by heart.

        Kara on the other hand was weighing her options at the display when she glimpsed Lena’s reflection in the glass. Spinning around she declared, “This is so cool! How did you find out about this place? Which one’s should we get? I love, love, love sprinkles. Really though I’d take any of them––” Kara froze in her rambling, “Wait, how much do they cost? I’ve only got a….ummm…..four dollars on me.”

        The other girl’s gaze softened as she watched Kara’s burst of excitement. Lena gently grasped Kara’s wrist before reassuring, “Pick whatever you want, I’ve got it. Just make sure to throw in one old fashion and one blueberry cake donut for me ok.”

        “What? No Lena I can’t make you pay for me. I was stupid not to grab my wallet. I feel bad––”

        “You are not making me. I am offering,” Lena interrupted and began walking to the table. 

        Her heart fluttered a little at the fact that Lena wanted to do this for her and in the process of selecting her favorite flavors Kara decided to just be grateful.

        Walking up to the register, a young woman with long red hair came up to take her order.

       “Whatcha gettin’ sweetie?”

       “Two old fashions, one apple fritter, one blueberry cake, and one of the pink ones with all the sprinkles please.”

       Wordlessly the red head went about bagging the order from the other side of the counter. The badge on the women’s shirt read Pam in slanted green print. Kara was becoming increasingly more nervous as Pam was nearing ready to ring her up. She turned in an attempt to catch Lena’s attention and somehow convey the she needed help paying.

       “Green eyes already gave me the cash, sweetie,” Pam assured having noted the girl’s worry.

       “Oh golly, that’s good to know. I’d have felt bad making you wait. I’ve never been here before and I forgot my wallet, but everything looks sooooo good. And I absolutely love the theme,” she gestured wildly around her before rambling on, “definitely not what I expected from the name––”

       “Woah slow down there,” the cashier interrupt her rant, “I would have waited, I’m closing tonight so I’m in no rush. I can guarantee these are the best donuts in National City, my wife and I make em’ ourselves. Fresh everyday.” Pam beamed proudly at that information then as she continued, “You’ll get the theme once you’ve taken a bite. Give your  _ friend  _ a big thanks for me ok, sweetie?”

       Kara nodded, took the bag shyly, and went to join the others. Seeing there were only four chairs, she stood awkwardly next to Lena’s chair.

       The other girl looked up at her, “I hope you got what you wanted.”

       “Oh yes two for me, the two for you, and one extra I thought we could split. The cashier says thank you again by the way.”

       Lena laughed, “Let’s just say I predicted a higher tab with your sweet tooth,” poking Kara’s side playfully.

       “Hey! I can’t help it,” she huffed, “sugar is addicting ok.”

       Lena nodded in agreement before standing abruptly, “Brainy can you unlock the car please, Kara and I are going to eat in there,” she stated leaving no room for questions.

       “Oh, I suppose,” he responded hesitantly. Despite his agreement, all three of the boys were looking at Lena as if she grew another head.

       Lena rolled her eyes, “There aren’t enough chairs in here and she and I are splitting an order idiots. Not that I needed to explain.” Hearing the car honk as it unlocked, she walked over to the exit and motioned for Kara to follow.

       They took the same seats the originally had, Kara climbing in after Lena. The door shut and the two girls were alone for the first time that night. A familiar silence fell over them, all at once comforting and heavy, neither was sure how to approach it.

       Kara set the bag down on the middle console in front of them. Lena took her baseball cap off and shook her hair out gently. 

       “Can we split the extra one first?” Kara asked quietly.

       “Yeah, yeah that’s fine. What is it?”

       Rushing to pull out the treat, she held it up triumphantly, “Sprinkles!”

       Lena laughed freely, “Why am I not surprised? You’ve got a thing for colors don’t you?”

       “Yeah, it’s kind of my job ya know” she answered while handing half the donut to Lena, “being in the art school part time. But yellow is by far my favorite, it’s authentic. The most authentic thing I’ve ever seen.... if that makes sense.”

       She let her voice trail in favor of taking a bite of her dessert. “Holy cow!” Kara burst, “this is the best donut I’ve ever had!”

       “Yeah? Would you say it’s….out of this world?” Lena smirked.

       It took a moment for Kara to register, gasping she replied, “Totally…. Wait, no….really! That’s why they chose this theme?! Oh boy, that’s gold”

       “I know right, I thought it was hilarious when Pam gave me that line.”

       Their laughter slowly settled.

       “The guys didn’t get it at all,” Lena added.

       “Brainy’s too literal. James was probably too focused on himself. And I don’t know about Clark, but I’m sure he has his weakness.”

       “Clark’s would be ‘too busy trying to show off’. You seem to have hit the nail pretty solidly on the head Miss Danvers. How long have you known them?”

       “Uh about a year now, you?”

       “Clark was my brother’s friend back home. James was the first person I met at college. And Brainy was a part of the package once the all ended up in the same frat.”

       “Do you know his girlfriend, Nia, too then?” Kara asked.

       “I’ve met her. She seems nice, a bit emotional, but nice. She’s at the frat house almost as much as me, but I’ve never really spent time getting to know her. ” Lena shifted nervously in the seat and continued eating.

       “I understand that. She is very sweet though, I highly recommend talking to her,” Kara hesitated, “Do you hang out with them a lot then?” she asked pointing to the boys through the shop window.

       “James mostly. Clarke like I said is my brother’s friend, and there are only so many reminders of him that I can handle, and Brainy is sweet but…” Lena let her thought trail off before clarifying, “We mostly drink together. Sometimes he takes my photos. He’s definitely not the brightest bulb in the box, but he distracts me from a lot of things…. without realizing it.”

       Looking at James at the table, Kara saw him barely able to keep his eyes open as he tried to shove another donut in his mouth twice without success. And given the pair’s choice of pass-time, the blonde got the feeling Lena meant he never remembered what she confessed. Kara’s stomach sank at that thought.

       “You know Lena,” she murmured, “I could distract you too.” The dark haired girl rose her brow at that statement and Kara went beat red as she realized what she said, “I-I-I mean, I’d r-really like to spend m-more time with you,” she spluttered.

       “Hmmm,” Lena hummed lowly, “doing what exactly?”she asked with a wink.

       Kara swatted at her arm, “Stop it, I’m not kidding. Honestly,” she continued looking Lena in the eye, “getting to know you. Who are you Lena Luthor? What’s your favorite color? You know mine.”

       Something shifted in Lena’s gaze and she dropped the flirty act. Kara watched those green eyes as they traced her face looking for any sign of insincerity. Apparently satisfied Lena wrapped her arms around the blonde’s arms and laid her chin on her shoulder. Kara broke out of her shock in time to wriggle her arms as best she could around Lena’s waist.

       “I think we could have fun,” she whispered.

       “Ok, Kara.”

       Lena pulled away slowly and nodded her head toward the shop, twisting around Kara saw the boys were on their way out. James was running ahead, with apparently no intention of slowing down as he happily plastered his palms to Kara’s window.

       “Guess what I just remembered Lena?” he yelled through the glass.

       Clark quickly pushed the other boy into the passenger seat saying, “Tell her in the car buddy.”

       Once everyone was buckled, James whipped around to look at Lena as Brainy hit the gas.

       “Lena, it’s your birthday on Saturday?” he exclaimed, “You’re coming over right?”

       Kara found herself holding her breath for the girl’s answer, and loosing it when all she heard was a confirmation.

       “That was my plan,” Lena stated, but out of the corner of her eye she noticed Kara’s shoulders slump.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

       Brainy pulled up to Grant Hall first when they got back to campus, deciding James needed to be taken home the most. Subsequently, Lena was dropped off too denying Clark’s offer to help guide James upstairs and claiming to have it under control. Kara filed out first since Lena was in the middle and stood off to the side and waved goodbye slightly to the other girl. 

       Before Kara had a chance to blink, Lena had scooped her into another unexpected hug. And Kara could do nothing but wrap her own arms around Lena’s neck as she felt the girl’s hands on her lower back and her fingers curl into her hoodie. The blonde’s pulse sped up and, in the middle of wondering if that was normal, soft lips pressed tenderly to her temple.

       “I’ll tell you on Sunday,” Lena whispered, “my favorite color that is. I’ll tell you on Sunday when I come over.”

       And just as quickly Kara’s arms were empty again. Lena rushed to take James arm, saying goodbye over her shoulder whilst the two of them meandered to the door. Kara slid back into the car and let her mind go blank as she waited to get to her building.

       When Brainy pulled over for a second time he parked and all three of them exited the vehicle. Hoping to say thank you for the night and leave it at that, Kara was mildly disappointed when Clark began walking in the same direction.

       “Seems we come from the same place,” he started.

       Kara smiled awkwardly in acknowledgment.

       At the front door, Clark spoke once more, “I’m glad she found you.” Kara faltered, turning to the boy as he proceeded, “Lena doesn’t have many friends. Let alone  _ girl _ friends. She’s always been somewhat of loner, despite how her hosting abilities might suggest otherwise.”

       Having said his piece, Clark nodded his head strongly in farewell and entered the dormitory. Kara stood a moment longer outside letting the cool night air rush over her bare legs before she followed.

       That night she was once again laying in her bed wondering why her heart sank when Clark referred to her as Lena’s ‘girl’   friend, and why it stopped when Lena herself did the same. But some deeper part of her knew it had to do with that pesky, isolating space, she just wasn’t ready to handle that yet.

       The next morning she would wake up to one new message.

 

**Lena: You can have my other donut, as long as you share some of your snacks this weekend. It'll be my birthday after all ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara could have sworn the air molded around them, brimming with some type of tension. Some type of energy she had never felt before. And the blonde was waiting for something, anything to ground her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, we are back in business! Yay!!! I'm a bit later than I predicted cuz I'm still working with this technology ugh. But anyway, I really really hope you all like this chapter. This is the first time they are spending time alone and figuring out how to navigate that space. I added a little more to this chapter to make up for the wait. As always feel free to leave comments, I love knowing you like the work and I will respond eventually! And sorry for any errors, I'll be editing tonight probably.
> 
> If not the next chapter then one soon after, I'm going to be fast forwarding a bit in kind of flashes of scenes. like a montage of sorts as kind of a stepping stone to the "big reveal" lol. So look out for that soon!

       An incoming call lit Kara’s bedroom and the ringing of the device reverberated off the desk. The bombardment to her senses was enough to snap Kara out of her dream and into a mild panic. Looking closer at the screen, it was revealed that James was attempting to FaceTime her.

_Seriously? What time is it? 1:42 a.m.! James this better be an emergency…_

       Taking the call, Kara’s eardrums were assaulted once more by James’s yelling.

       “Hey! I told you she would be awake,” he looked off camera before continuing, “Boom, baby! I was ri–– Oh Lena’s here too!”

       Static rustling filled the speaker as the picture went out of focus in a battle of hands.

       “I told you not to call her dimwit!” someone snarled off screen, “I swear James do you ever think?”

       The camera settled again now in Lena’s hands, her face contorted slightly in frustration as her eyes bore into the boy next to her. James simply sat there grinning, clearly proud of himself.

       “Uh...hi,” Kara faltered, unsure if she should interrupt the duos silent argument.

       Lena snapped out of her resolve to turn back toward the device in her hand. Her eyes roamed over Kara’s image on the phone, and the blonde became acutely aware of her messy curls spewed across her pillow and how low the collar of her sleep shirt sat on her shoulders. She reached to put her glasses on and pulled the covers up a bit.

       “Hi, love,” Lena said lowly. Kara was sure she would have blushed had James not cut in again.

       “Lena said she was hanging out with you today Kara! Why didn’t you just come hang out here with all of us? What’s the big deal, I wanna hang out with both of you!” He whined rather loudly.

       “James, it hasn’t happened yet,” Kara grumbled, “I’m sure she meant later tonight, considering it is technically 2:00 a.m. this Sunday morning.”

       “That’s what I told him!” Lena exclaimed, “He didn’t believe me and wanted to ask you himself. Just had to make sure he wasn’t left out.” she mocked.

       Attention only on the boy again, Lena started on a small rant about how she had been with him all day and he should know she didn’t see the other girl, etc. Kara was left watching the interaction. Her gaze tracked Lena’s lavender nails and gold rings with every gesture she made. Dark hair was swept up in a quick bun, leaving the elegant curve of her neck bare save for the thin gold chain that laid at its base. Just as Kara was trying to read the necklace’s pendant, Lena seemed to have finished her argument with James and began walking away from him with the phone in hand. Kara brought her eyes back to Lena’s face and ignored the warm feeling in her chest.

       “Sorry about this,” Lena huffed, “My phone died. I’m stealing James’s, let me just get to the bathroom.” A door shut off camera and Lena’s frame slid down a tile wall to presumably sit on the bathroom floor. She continued a little more calmly, “I mention seeing you later today to him one time and he gets jealous? I just don’t understand. I’m so sorry this woke you up.”

       “It’s fine, babe. Really, I know you weren’t behind this,” Kara joked wearily, not noticing the term of endearment that slipped through. Lena did though. Her skin flushed due to more than just the wine, but she quickly tried to move forward.

       “Well, I am glad you answered. The party is pretty much dead. Weird way to end a birthday...at a frat that is,” She laughed to herself mostly, “Literally at someone else’s party.”

       “Did you have a good time at least,” Kara mumbled.

       “Yeah I did, but I have a feeling we will have more fun,” she sighed.

       “I’d hope I’m a better host than some frat boys,” she joked, “we can do whatever you want. I don’t really have anything concrete planned. Movies are always fun, if you’re down for that?”

       Lena smiled easily, “I’m always down for movies.”

       “Amazing! I’d have cake for you, but I’m kinda sort of broke right now,” she drawled, “I have a ridiculous amount of popcorn however.”

       “Don’t worry about food at all, really I just want to relax for once,” Lena said, “Can I just come over now? It is technically Sunday…” her voice took on the slightest whine as she almost pleaded.

       “I am literally no fun at the moment. Usually I can stay up, but I am passing out talking to you hun,” Kara continued wearily, “I promise I will be wide awake for later tonight though. You can come over whenever, just knock.”

       “Ugh fine. You’re right, I should sleep too.” Lena mumbled.

       “Not on the bathroom floor though,” Kara teased, “stand up before you end the call so I know you are gonna go to an actual bed.”

       The camera shifted in the process, giving the sleepily blonde the shortest glimpse of Lena’s exposed skin in the crop top she was wearing. Lena groaned exaggeratedly as she stood, “There I did it, are you happy?”

       “Yes, thank you,” she answered.

       “That’s all I needed to know,” Lena smiled sweetly, “Goodnight, Kara.”

       “Happy birthday, Lena. Goodnight.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

       A knock resonated through the suite while Kara sat at her desk. She quickly saved her english paper before rushing to swing open the door. There, leaning casually back against the frame, was Lena. The hood of her large gray sweatshirt was pulled over her dark hair and made to frame the delicacy of her face. Without makeup the color of her eyes seemed a little less piercing and a little easier to fall into. For a split second Kara could have sworn one was blue and the other green, but then her lips were moving and Kara brought herself back to the present.

       “You mentioned not having any desserts, so I thought maybe we could make some?” Lena asked hesitantly holding up the bowl in her arms that was filled with brownie mix and other ingredients.

       Kara melted just a bit at the hope that radiated from the other girl. Reaching for the bowl, she agreed, “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day, we can use the floor kitchen! Come inside first though, you can set your bag in my room,” she let Lena walk ahead of her before continuing, “I was just finishing up a paper, so if you needed to bring homework I totally get it. It is a school night so. Anyway, feel free to use my desk, or you can set on my bed. Whichever is more comfortable,” Kara rambled as her gaze fell to the hem of light blue shorts laid against Lena’s pale thigh, and then fell further. She didn’t know Lena was that toned or why she was so fascinated by it. Kara decided to chalk it up to her own interest in physical fitness.

       “I’m sure we could share the bed,” Lena laughed over her shoulder, “No reason for either of us to be uncomfortable.”

       Kara’s heart stuttered in her throat, so she simply nodded, Her back is to you, idiot, she chastised herself.

       “I only have to turn in a question set before midnight. No big deal and shouldn’t take long to check over. We should put the brownies in first though,” Lena suggested as she set her stuff down, and took in the room, “This cute, I should have guessed your love of music extended into your room decor. Come on, love, where’s the kitchen?”

       Kara let her intertwine their fingers and drag her back into the hallway, “Just to the right and halfway down,” she responded distractedly too busy worrying if her palm was clammy.

       Once they were in the kitchen, Lena moved like clockwork and Kara stepped to the side content with just watching her.

       “Are you gonna help, or?” she smirked.

       “Oh, trust me, you don’t want me to touch anything. Everything I’ve ever cooked without using a microwave I have burned. I’m known to eat the batter rather than bake anything. Salmonella is a less likely than ruined food in my case,” Kara laughed at herself and breathed a sigh of relief when Lena joined her.

       “Good thing I know how to actually cook then,” she teased back “How about you take on stir duty and...of course, eating the batter from the bottom of the bowl duty too.”

       “Oh absolutely, you can trust I’ll do my job well Miss Luthor,” Kara nodded.

       The two girls set about finishing the prep work and Lena put the pan in the oven while Kara gladly finished off the batter from the bowl and wooden spoon. Anticipating a sugar rush, the blonde closed her eyes happily and spun around to a song in her head as she sucked the last bit of chocolate off her finger. A giggle broke her trance and she stopped mid twirl to find Lena filming the whole scene.

       “Lena,” she drawled, “no, stop. You know I love sugar, that’s not fair,” Kara pouted and reached to cover the camera.

       Lena was quicker, she sent the snap video to her story and saved it to her memories. She caught Kara’s outstretched arm and brought it back down to pull the blonde closer.

       “That’s why I let you have the spoon, Kara,” she said.

       Their bodies were mere inches apart and Kara trained her eyes to the tassels of Lena’s hoodie, anxious for some reason to look anywhere else. Lena seemed calm as always, leaving Kara to question why she felt nervous in this moment. In an attempt to bring it all back to something normal, something friendly she was used to, Kara found herself wrapping her arms around Lena’s neck briefly.

       “You’re lucky I like you, Lena,” she said squeezing her tighter, “if you were James I would have slapped you.”

       Lena chuckled at that, “I’m sure you would have taught him a lesson.” She went on, “let’s go back to the room.”

       Soft lips brushed above Kara’s brow, and the blonde couldn’t help but count two heartbeats before they left her skin bare again. Then Lena was practically out the door, carrying the dirty dishes with her, and Kara was left to catch up.

       The girls were sat side on either end of Kara’s twin bed finishing up their assignments on their laptops. Lena had set the goal of being done with work by the time the timer for the brownies went off. As a result they were both working frantically as they passed stories back and forth. Lena wanted to know about the album posters on her wall, the trinkets on her desk, and the books on Kara’s shelf.

       The blonde explained how her first and last concert was unfortunately the Hannah Montanna one where the Jonas Brothers opened for her. So Kara has been collecting posters for every concert she would have loved to see or wants to see. Lena laughed at that before admitting her first and last one was One Direction. The other girl agreed whole-heartedly that the pair needed to remedy the situation and go to a concert together some day. They went on like that, sharing small memories as they raced the clock. After a while, Lena’s triumphant cry was followed almost immediately by the incessant ringing of an alarm.

       “Oh my god! Kara, I did it! Beat the clock,” She burst, “I don’t think I’ve been this productive in a while. What about you did you finish? You can keep working if you need to, I can wait to start the movie.”

       Kara smiled proudly, “Nice job honestly! I wouldn’t even begin to understand any of the math you’re doing. Just let me finish up this paragraph and I’m good to go!” Kara typed another two sentences, before vowing to actually finish her paper tomorrow night. She didn’t want to admit to Lena she wasn’t done yet, Kara had spent more time memorizing what Lena said than the meaning behind Ron Padgett’s poetry. The dark haired girl was too excited and truthfully Kara needed a break from trying to focus.

       They got the brownies from the kitchen and ran back to the room. Propping her laptop up on the shelf above the foot of her bed, Kara pulled up Netflix. She twisted around to find Lena behind her, settling into Kara’s bed, covering up with Kara’s blanket, sliding the hood off her head and twisting dark hair over one shoulder, and eventually looking up at Kara expectantly.

       “What are we watching, party planner?” Lena raised her eyebrow and the whole scene was some type of too much for Kara that she wobbled a bit from where she was kneeled on the mattress.

       “I - I was gonna ask how you felt about Disney? But, now I feel kind of stupid…” she trailed off.

       “Depends really, I tend to lean towards Pixar. The Incredibles are my favorite, but what were you thinking?” she asked.

       “Oh, I really, really love Hercules. And well I haven’t seen it in a long time and figured maybe you hadn’t either.” Kara suggested.

       Lena gasped, “We absolutely have to watch Hercules! The songs are too good. I haven’t seen it in years, but trust me when I say I have the lyrics on lock. You have to sing along with me period.”

       Kara agreed enthusiastically and quickly pulled up the film. She hurried to get comfortable before the intro ended, slipping into the covers with Lena and grabbing the brownie pan from the desk beside her.

       “So, I vote we just dig in,” Kara urged, pushing a spoon into Lena’s closest hand and grabbing one for herself as well. Lena beamed at the idea and the two girls started in on the treat.

       And that’s how the rest of the night went. Sharing brownies. Clinking spoons. Singing songs just above a whisper and just for each other. Laughing together. Stealing glances. Watching the colors change across her cheeks. Shifting slowly. Brushing bare thighs accidentally and maybe on purpose. Starting something. Hoping this person might fill a gap that’s been left empty for too long.

       It was too soon when the movie ended and the pan was emptied. Kara leaned forward to shut the computer off and the two were left in nothing but the stray streetlight. Lena’s featured were traced in the streaks that filtered through the blinds. Diagonal lines outlined a single eye, ran over the bridge of her nose and the ridge of her cheek, and flowed across the crest of her lips; then it broke as Lena cracked the silence.

       “It’s late,” She said without making any attempt to leave.

       Kara could have sworn the air molded around them, brimming with some type of tension. Some type of energy she had never felt before. And the blonde was waiting for something, anything to ground her again.

       “I could stay,” Lena whispered, “I could sleep here. This was fun and,” she breathed in deeply, “I don’t want to end it.”

       There was a tinge of some old score, an edge of something broken in her voice. Right then, Kara decided she wouldn’t be able to say no to this girl. This version of her that was a level of vulnerable that seemed almost as new to Lena herself as it felt to Kara.

       “You could,” Kara whispered back, “You can. Whenever you want.”

       Those green eyes teemed with an emotion Kara chose to label gratitude and gentle fingers wrapped around her own tugging her back under the blanket.

       Both girls laid stiffly on their backs, sides glued together on the narrow twin bed and gazes boring into the ceiling. Ignoring her nerves, Kara breached the silence in a hushed tone.

       “I was never allowed to have sleepovers.”

       “Me neither, at least not that I can remember,” Lena responded just as quietly, “my adoptive parents weren’t too fond of most normal kid things.”

       “I’m adopted too, but as a teen. And my adoptive mother worked a lot, like a lot, a lot. So, my adoptive sister and I were left to watch the house pretty often,” Kara explained. “Alex covered for me a few times. Told me to take up Mike’s offers to ‘hang out’.”

       “How long did you see him?” Lena questioned.

       “Somehow, nearly all of high school,” Kara sighed, “so we got together almost a year after I was adopted. I don’t remember how that happened, and honestly most of the relationship if you can call it that wasn’t worth remembering.” As Kara continued she felt Lena intertwine their fingers again, “He was an entirely self-centered ass, it took getting away from him to see it. I gave too much of myself for him and honestly I never even liked him. I don’t know, I don’t think I ever liked any of the boys from home.”

       “He sounds like a pathetic child, and I doubt any of the other boys there would be worth anything compared to you,” Lena continued, “He doesn’t matter anymore, look how far you got. You’re at one of the top schools in the nation, and you’re doing what you love.”

       “Yeah, I’m definitely starting too,” Kara agreed, “He always said I wouldn’t make it here. For awhile I think he convinced me to change my goals into revenge plots. And let me tell you, it motivated me for a bit, but that shit is heavy to carry around all the time. It was just more pieces of myself I let him taint. Pieces I couldn’t just let go, that’s something I’ve got to rinse off and make mine again. I’ve been working really hard to do that.”

       “I can understand that,” the other girl reassured, “That’s kind of how I feel about my mother. I have to do what she asks of me since she is funding my education, but I’m trying to do more of what I want on top of that. I’m trying to make space for myself.”

       “We can do it together then,” Kara encouraged, “My goal was to have a better grasp of who I was away from my sister, without my parents, and without him or anyone really. That’s why I don’t drink yet, I just wanted to make sure I was focusing on myself in every situation. I don’t know if that makes sense, but I promise my reasoning is more solid than I just made it sound.”

       “No, Kara, it seems pretty sound, and really important. I’m glad you’re giving yourself that kind of time,” Lena reassured, “Just to check though, when is your birthday?”

       Kara broke her staring contest with the ceiling, furrowed her brow, and turned her head to look at the other girl, “Next month, on the 15th, so almost done,” she answered puzzled.

       Lena turned to look into Kara’s eyes and raised her brow pointedly, “So what I’m hearing is that we have to celebrate,” she smirked, “good music, good wine, and plenty of snacks of course.”

       The blonde beamed back at her, “I think you might be right again Miss Luthor.”

       “Always,” Lena quipped. She flipped onto her side to face Kara, prompting, “If you turn too we’ll probably fit better.”

       Kara couldn’t argue that logic, and deep down she didn’t want to. She turned so that her back was to Lena in the bed. Slowly, and ever so lightly, that Kara was almost convinced she imagined it at first, Lena’s arm draped across her torso and her fingers pressed into her T-shirt. And while their bare legs weren’t touching, Kara felt the sliver of space between them was so charged she could count the goosebumps rising along her skin. All of this was so different, the blonde couldn’t remember ever thinking this much about someone who was right next to her.

       She thanked every god she could think of that no one could see the blush that erupted along her face and chest when Lena asked, “Is this okay?”

       “Yeah, totally,” Kara whispered, trying not to let her voice crack at all.

       “Ok goodnight, Kara,” Lena breathed.

       “Goodnight, Lena.”

       But Kara couldn’t sleep, not really. She was listening to everything. Voices from other students outside her window, the ticking of her alarm clock, the fan running in her laptop, the lyrics in her head, her pulse, and how she attempted to control her own breathing. Anything really to distract from honing in on Lena’s shallow breaths behind her neck. She began her mantra from yoga –– in, hold, out, hold, repeat. –– until she was at least able to relax.

       Lena must not have been asleep all the way either however, because a few minutes after Kara had evened out her breath she barely detected a small voice behind her.

       “Purple, that’s my favorite color.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (leaving this here so anyone who hasn't seen it knows why)
> 
> ****Hey! I know it's been a while. I will be uploading a new chapter by tomorrow night if my technology does not fail me again. Just wanted to check in now that I can and let you all know i didn't abandon this fic. I live in one of the areas that got hit with tornados earlier this week. i'm fine, and didnt lose anything tg, but power surged and somehow fucked up my laptop that was plugged in i guess idk thats what the tech person said. anyway ive gotten it fixed now yay!! so that's why there was a lag in updates.****


	8. Chapter 8

Still figuring out how this site works. So I'll be replacing this comment with a chapter soon! Just wanted to make sure the fic got pushed to the top again lol. Newest chapter is number 7.


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